Reciprocating zig-zag folder



Nov. 28, 1967 J. STLIJLMAN 3,355,164

RECIPROCATING ZIG-ZAG FOLDER Filed Oct. 25, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JUA/A5 STM/VAN 552 BY 5x11/N26 A T TOR/VE Y NOW 28, 1967 J. STULMAN RECPROCATING ZIG ZAG FOLDER 6 Sheets-,Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25, 1965 INVENTOR. J/V/LS .STLMHN .ATTORNEY NOV. 28, 19'67 J. STULMAN 3,355,164

RECIPROCATING ZIG-ZAG FOLDER Filed Oct. 23, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet '5 1 N VENTOR. J/VHS 5 Tl/L MA N Bij-JM ATOHNEY Filed Oot. 23, 1965 Nov. 28,1967 J. STULMAN 3,355,164

RECIPROCATING ZIG-'ZAG I FOLDER 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ArrP/VEV Nov. 28, 1967 J. STULMAN RECIPROCATING ZIG-ZAG FOLDER 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 25, 1965 A TTOPNEV Nov. 28, 1967 J. STUVLMAN 3,355,164

RECIPROCATING ZIG-ZAG FOLDER Filed Oct. 25, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. JONAS 5 TULMAN JMW ATTORNEY United States Patent iiice 3,355,164 RECIPROCA'IING ZIG-ZAG F OLDER .Iunas Stniman, 153 Eagie Reek Way, Montciair, NJ. 07042 Fiied Get. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,913 3 Cairns. (Cl. 270-79) ABSTRACT F THE DISCIJGSIJRE This invention relates to flexible devices. More particularly, it relates to such an improved device of simple construction for facilely folding measured portions of exible sheet material in reciprocal substantially equal width folds.

In the merchandising of fabrics, cloths and other sheet materials, the merchandiser frequently is confronted with the need for providing samples of his wares to prospective customers. To provide such samples has generally entailed the cutting of measured lengths of material from a relatively large bolt thereof and folding the lengths in a suitable manner such as by a reciprocal fold to enable efficiency in handling and packaging. Since such bolts of material are unwieldy, machines have been provided for cutting measured lengths of cloth, but the folding of the cloth has still had to be done in aseparate operation.

Such cutting machines, of necessity, have been of the heavy fixed equipment type where it has been necessary to carry heavy bolts of cloth thereto from the bolt repositories over substantial oor distances. The cutting machines have had to be electrically actuated and have required electrical sensing equipment for automatically detecting a point in the measured length of cloth at which a new opposite directional fold is to be commenced.

Because of the intrinsic massiveness of the cloth length measuring machine and the need for its associated electrical control equipment, such machines and devices have been too expensive, unwieldy and complex to lend themselves for use in smaller merchandising establishments and for rendering them portable. In any event, all types of establishments, whether largey or small, have been essen'- tially restricted to providing sample lengths of cloths for their customers and potential customers by hand methods with their accompanying undesirable time consumption, ineciency, and clumsy execution. l Y

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a manually manipulable mechanical device for folding chosen lengths of flexible sheet material in uniform, successively occurring, reciprocal fol-ds.

It is another object to provide a device in accordance with the preceding object which is portable. K

Generally speaking and according to the invention, there is provided in flexible sheet material handling apparatus including means for unrolling the material of a given width from a bolt thereof and passing it downwardly in a substantially vertical path; a crossbar disposed in a substantially horizontal line parallel to the path and coextensive with the aforesaid width, and means for selectively reciprocally manually deflecting the material from the aforesaid path along the width to loop the material over and securely maintain the material on the bar by locking the material against the bar at the completion of one of the movements for the time of the period between successive reciprocal sheet material handling illi Patented Nov. 28, 1967 movements to effect a folding of the material in alternate directional folds.

For a better understanding of the invention together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and its scope is pointed ou-t in the appended claims.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a three dimensional view of an illustrative embodiment of a device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. l;

lFIG. 3 is an elevational View of the right side of the device of FIG. 1 as seen by the viewer;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along lines 5 5 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a section taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 illustrates in end view, the folding mechanism of the device of FIG. 1 at the commencement of a sheet foldmg operation; l

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views similar to that of FIG. 7 and illustrate the reciprocal operability of the sheet folding device;

FIG. 10 illustrates the completion of the sheet folding operation on the folding device;

FIG. 11 is an end view of another embodiment of a folding device at the start of an operation, such other embodiment being constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are views similar to that of FIG. 1l and show the reciprocal operation of the other embodiment of the folding mechanism; and

FIG. 14 is a View similar to that of FIGS. 10i to 13 and illustrates a modification of the folding mechanism.

FIG. 15 is a frontal view of the embodiment of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIGS. 14 and 15.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 10, the embodiment of the invention 20 depicted therein comprises a pair of upright rectangular frames 22 and 24 in parallel spaced relation, each of frames 22 and 24 comprising a pair of upright parallel spaced L-bars connected at the top by a similar type crossbar, the three bars suitably being integral with each other. The upright bars are mounted on rollers, generally designated -by the numeral 26 to render the device portable. Axed to the upper crossbars on frames 22 and 24 are rectangular brackets 28 and 30, the rear vertical legs of brackets 28 and 30 being respectively disposed substantially coplanarly with the rear upright legs of frames 22 and 24, their front vertical legs being disposed at a suitable distance from the front ends of the crossbars of frames 22 and 24. The upper horizontal crossbars of brackets 28 and 30 are suitably provided near the rear thereof with registered approximately semi-circular depressions 32 and 34 for receiving therein the opposite ends of a spindle 35 having an amount of sheet material such as cloth or fabric Wound therearound.

lNear the front ends of |brackets 28 and 30 is a suitably aixed roller disposed to be freely rotatable. In this connection, it is noted that the upper longitudinal tangential margin 'of roller 40 suitably does not extend above the crossbars of brackets 28 and 30 whereby the path of movement of cloth 38 from its bolt to roller 46 is in a downward direction to permit improved ready unrol-ling movement of the cloth. A centrally axially disposed shaft 41 Within roller 40 extends from an end of roller 40 beyond the vertical plane of frame 22, a wheel 42 being suitably mounted on the end of shaft 41 to permit manual turning thereof. A cylindrical crossbar 44 is provided attached to registered points on opposite brackets 28 and 30 near the front ends thereof for bearing against cloth passing along roller 40 to cause its forward propulsion upon the turning of wheel 42 and to function as a guide. A rectangular crossbar 46 is provided aixed at the angle formed by the front legs of brackets 28 and 30 and the upper crossbars of frames 22 and 24 to provide a cutting edge for the passing cloth. To enable a measurement of the amount of cloth 38 unrolled from its bolt, a suitable measurement device 48 responsive to the movement of spindle 36 is provided suitably disposed on bracket 28.

For lending mechanical rigidity and support to frames 22 and 24, they are braced at their lower ends with rectangularly disposed members 50, 52, 54 and 56, the angles formed at the corners of the rectangles being affixed to the angles of the L-bars comprising the frames 22 and 24.

Afiixed to members 50 and S2 and disposed in registration are a pair of triangular brackets 58 and 66 having outer side walls 59 and 61 respectively, a circular bar 62 extending between brackets 58 and 60, the ends of bar 62 being received within the apices of brackets 58 and 60. The positioning of brackets 58 and 6i) is suitably chosen such that the apices thereof substantially fall in the line tangent to the front end of the horizontal diameter of roller 46.

The folding device, per se, comprises a normally horizontally disposed rectangular frame 64 positioned slightly below the apices of brackets 58 and 60, and having a length so as to extend slightly laterally beyond brackets 58 and 60, frame 64 comprising front and rear sides 66 and 68 and lateral sides 70 and 72. Aixed to the ends of the under surface of side 70 are a pair of flanged arms 69 and 71 which converge to meet at an apical point near the base of bracket 58, such apical ends of arms 69 and 71 being pivotedly joined by suitable means such as a bolt 67 against side 59. Affixed to the upper surface of side 66 and extending from its left end to a point spaced from the end of side 66 is a flanged member 80 and affixed to the upper surface of portion 68 is flanged member 82 similar in cross sectional configuration to that of member 80 but substantially coextensive in length with side 68. It is to be noted that members 80 and 82 are angled obtusely with their apices pointing toward each other, the lengths of the corresponding angle arms being chosen whereby the apices lie in the same horizontal plane. It is also to be noted that the upper arms of members 80 and 82 terminate in small extensions at angles to the ends of the upper arms of these members and which extend toward each other.

Similarly afiixed to the ends of the undersurface of side 72 are converging flanged arms 73 and 75 which are pivotedly joined by bolt 77 and anchored against side 61. Thus, with this arrangement, the tilting of frame 64 causes a concurrent pivoting at the pivotal points of attachment, viz., 67 and 77. A handled lever 84 is attached to frame 64 to enable ready tilting thereof by an operator. Frame 64 is chosen to have a front to rear width and triangular brackets 58 and 60 are chosen to have an angularity such that bracket 64 can only be tilted about a horizontal axis to the limits imposed when the inner edges of front and rear sides 66 and 68 respectively encounter the sides of brackets 58 and 60 during the tilting movement. To prevent horizontal sway in a side to side direction of frame 64, it is chosen to have a length such that the inner edges of sides 70 and 72 are quite close to sides 59 and 61 respectively.

In considering the operation of the device defined in FIGS. 1 10, let it be assumed that it is desired to provide a neatly folded piece of sheet material such as a given fabric of a chosen length. To effect this, the ends of the spindle 36 on which the bolt of fabric 38 is wound are placed in depressions 32 and 34 respectively. The bolt is then unrolled to place the end thereof beyond bar 44 to tightly position the fabric against roller 40. At this point, the fabric can be unrolled from bolt 38 by turning 4 wheel 42, the amount of fabric `being unrolled, simultaneously being measured in measurement device 48 in response to the movement of the fabric. As the fabric passes over roller 40, it assumes a vertical path through the natural force of gravity and proceeds in its downward path as shown in FIG. 7.

When the movement of the fabric has attained a point as shown in FIG. 7, the operator, by pushing lever 84 forward (as shown in FIG. 8) causes the apical portion of member 80 to deflect the path of the fabric whereby it loops over bar 62 and freely falls vertically on the other side of bar 62, member 80 securely locking the fabric on bar 62 whereby it is prevented from slipping therearound. Now, when the length of cloths draped over bar 62 are approximately equal, the operator pulls lever 84 in the opposite direction whereby the apical portion of member 82 causes the fabric to loop over bar 62 in the opposite direction (as shown in FIG. 9) and operates to securely lock the fabric on bar 62 whereby no slippage can occur. Thus, by suitably moving lever 84 back and forth at a rate as determined by a desired length of fold of fabric over a side of bar 62, there results (as shown in FIG. 10) a neatly alternately folded piece of fabric having a desired length as monitored by measuring device 48, the folds formed being of desired size as a consequence of the locking actions of members 80 and 82.

Referring now to FIGS. ll to 13 wherein there is shown another illustrative embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, those structures which are the same as corresponding structures in the device of FIGS. 1 to l0 have been designated with the same respective numerals.

Thus, on each of members 50 and 52 as shown in FIGS. 1 to l0, there are mounted respective brackets such as bracket 92 mounted on member 50. An arm 94 suitably pivotedly aixed to bracket 92 at point 93 is adapted to be pivotedly moved forwardly and rearwardly. Suitably affixed to members 50 and 52 are upright members such as members 96 and 98, these upright members respectively supporting front to rear horizontally disposed rectangular frames such as frames 100. It is to be noted that similar to sides 70 and 72 of frame 64 in FIGS. 1 to 10, the structures resulting from upright members, such as members 96 and 98, and rectangular frames, such as frames 100, are disposed laterally to the pivotable arms such as arm 94 but are disposed quite close thereto to limit lateral sway. Connected between the upper ends of the pivotable arms is bar 62 which serves the same function in the device of FIGS. 11 to 13 as it does in the device of FIGS. 1 to 10. Members 102 and 104, which are similar in cross sectional configuration to that of members 80 and 82, both have a length coextensive with the side to side length of the device, and are suitably atiixed to the rectangular frames such as frames 100 to enable the adjustment of the front to rear distance therebetween.

In the operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 11 to 13, different from that of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to l0, members 102 and 104 remain stationary but the pivotable arms are moved forwardly and rearwardly to effect alternate folding of the sheet material. Thus, as shown in FIG. 11, once the downward movement of material 38 has attained a suitable lowermost point, the pivotable bars are pulled forwardly to effect a looping of material 38 over transverse bar 62 until the situation obtains as shown in FIG. 12. At this point the operator moves the pivotable arms rearwardly to effect a reverse looping of material over bar 62 and this process is continued until the whole length of material has been folded in alternate folds, the process of folding being shown in FIG. 13.

Similar to the operation of members 80 and 82, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. l to l0, the movement of transverse bar 62 not only causes a reciprocal folding of material thereover but also firmly pins the material against the inner surfaces of members 162 and 104 in its reciprocal movements respectively whereby the material is prevented from slippage on bar 62 during the folding. Consequently, the folding operation proceeds smoothly and there are readily produced substantially equal size reciprocal folds to produce a neat totally reciprocally folded length of material.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the pulling and pushing of bar 62 at the respective ends thereof may introduce a horizontal torque whereby bar 62 may be horizontally slightly twisted or rotated about an end to pull the other end away a slight distance from intimate contact with the inner surfaces of members 102 and 104 respectively with consequent slippage of material at such other end. To prevent such possibility, the embodiment shown in FIG. 14 may be utilized. FIG. 14 shows the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 with the addition f a plurality of spaced retaining devices 110 disposed along the longitudinal inner surfaces of members 102 and 104 as shown, such devices suitably being spring clips or like devices. These clips function to bear against material on bar 62 to retain it iirmly thereon in the event that torque or twisting imposed on bar 62 causes an end thereof to be pulled away from contact with a member 102 or 104. The resiliency of spring clips 110 insures that suicient force is brought to bear on the material to prevent slippage thereof.

While there have been described what are considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modiiications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed to cove1 all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the U.S. is:

1. Flexible sheet material handling apparatus comprising means for unrolling said material of a given width from a bolt thereof and passing it downwardly in a substantially vertical path, a crossbar disposed in a substantially horizontal line parallel to said path and substantially coextensive with said width, a pair of fixed parallel 4 disposed brackets spaced to receive the opposite ends of said crossbar to ixedly dispose said crossbar in said line,

a substantially rectangular normally horizontally disposed frame comprising a first pair of sides disposed parallel to and substantially equal in length to said crossbar and a second pair of end sides disposed externally and close to said brackets, a pair of arms convergingly extending from each of the respective undersurfaces of said end sides, to join at respective registered points on said brackets, means for pivotedly aliixing said pairs of jointed arms at said points, a pair of members respectively disposed on the upper surfaces of said lirst pair of sides, each of said members being V-shaped in cross-section, the apices of said Vs being in opposed spaced relationship and parallel to said iirst pair of sides, and means for reciprocally manually pivoting said frame about said points to intersect said path alternately with each of said members, correspondingly deflecting said material from said path along said width and to correspondingly lock said material against said crossbar by surface contact with said members during periods between successive pivotings to loop said material over said crossbar in alternate folds.

2. In exible sheet handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said brackets are of like triangular configuration and comprise a triangular wall, the ends of said crossbar being received at the respective apices of said brackets, said points being on said triangular sidewalls near the base of said brackets.

3. In liexible sheet material handling apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said apparatus further includes unrolled cloth length measuring means responsive to the action of said unrolling means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,607,407 11/ 1926 Mayer 270-80 1,624,060 4/ 1927 Nanterme 270-79 2,855,196 10/ 1958 Quirk 27079 2,914,320 11/ 1959 Petre 270-68 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. P, WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS FOR UNROLLING SAID MATERIAL OF A GIVEN WIDTH FROM A BOLT THEREOF AND PASSING IT DOWNWARDLY IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PATH, A CROSSBAR DISPOSED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL LINE PARALLEL TO SAID PATH AND SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID WIDTH, A PAIR OF FIXED PARALLEL DISPOSED BRACKETS SPACED TO RECEIVE THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CROSSBAR TO FIXEDLY DISPOSE SAID CROSSBAR IN SAID LINE, A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR NORMALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FRAME COMPRISING A FIRST PAIR OF SIDES DISPOSED PARALLEL TO AND SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN LENGTH TO SAID CROSSBAR AND A SECOND PAIR OF END SIDES DISPOSED EXTERNALLY AND CLOSE TO SAID BRACKETS, A PAIR OF ARMS CONVERGINGLY EXTENDING FROM EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE UNDERSURFACES OF SAID END SIDES, TO JOIN AT RESPECTIVE REGISTERED POINTS ON SAID BRACKETS, MEANS FOR PIVOTEDLY AFFIXING SAID PAIRS OF JOINTED ARMS AT SAID POINTS, A PAIR OF MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED ON THE UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF SIDES, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS BEING V-SHAPED IN CORSS-SECTION, THE APIECES OF SAID V''S BEING IN OPPOSED SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF SIDES, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCALLY MANUALLY PIVOTING SAID FRAME ABOUT SAID POINTS TO INTERSECT SAID PATH ALTERNATELY WITH EACH OF SAID MEMBERS, CORRESPONDINGLY DEFLECTING SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID PATH ALONG SAID WIDTH AND TO CORRESPONDINGLY LOCK SAID MATERIAL AGAINST SAID CROSSBAR BY SURFACE CONTACT WITH SAID MEMBERS DURING PERIODS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE PIVOTINGS TO LOOP SAID MATERIAL OVER SAID CROSSBAR IN ALTERNATE FOLDS. 